The Tool Desk
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Automating a chemistry workflow does not necessarily mean replacing an existing setup or buying a fully integrated system. A practical starting point is to automate one repeatable task—such as reagent addition or recording measurements—using compatible equipment already in the lab. Whether this improves efficiency, reproducibility, material use, or safety depends on the experiment, the design, and how the system is operated.
What laboratory automation can do—and where to begin
Repeated manual additions can take time and make it harder to connect each measurement to the precise moment and amount of reagent added. A dosing system can deliver additions according to a chosen procedure; data capture can record measurements alongside the run. Together, these capabilities can make a workflow easier to follow and compare, provided the instruments are configured and checked for that specific chemistry.
The Chemistry World webinar “Automation with no barriers,” sponsored by Syrris, discusses manual-dosing pitfalls, automated dosing, crystallisation tracking, and metastable zone width. Its claims about accuracy, reproducibility, safety, and reduced material loss are sponsor-associated framing, not a guarantee for every setup. Chemistry World webinar
For many labs, the sensible first question is not “How do I automate everything?” but “Which repeated step can I automate reliably without disrupting the rest of the experiment?” Start with a bounded task, such as adding a reagent at a defined rate or logging pH at intervals, then establish how you will verify that it performs as intended.
How can you automate reagent dosing?
Choose a repeatable task and define its requirements
Before selecting hardware, specify what the experiment requires: reagent volume, dosing range and rate, how additions are triggered, and what measurement or event should be recorded with each addition. Chemical compatibility matters too: the liquid-contacting, or wetted, parts must suit the reagent. A pump that can move liquid is not automatically suitable for every solvent, concentration, flow rate, or experimental condition.
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- Comes with a simple electrode holder for up to 2 electrodes and pre-mixed calibration solutions (pH4/7/10, 50ml for each)
- 50 sets of data storage; IP54 spill-proof and dust-proof
Use existing instruments where they are compatible
A modular system may combine a pump with a sensor, computer, and control software. The equipment can remain useful if it can connect to the automation hardware and provide the signals or control interfaces the workflow needs. Confirm those interfaces rather than assuming that instruments can communicate simply because they are used in the same experiment.
Keep a record of the setpoints, measurements, and additions relevant to the run, and decide how to check that the delivered dose matches the intended procedure. Whether the system is suitable for unattended use is a separate safety decision; automation does not remove the need to assess hazards, failure modes, and supervision.
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- Automatic Temperature Compensation: Our Digital pH Tester has an automatic compensation function. Requiring only one operation to simultaneously obtain pH and temperature values, directly providing the compensated final result. Whether it's icy deep well water, warm fishpond water, or room-temperature laboratory samples, it delivers standardized, comparable, and accurate data. Making your research, aquaculture, or testing work more scientific and reliable.
- Easy to Use: One-click calibration, simple operation. Our pH Test Kit equipped with calibration buffer powder, allowing you to calibrate and start using it immediately upon receiving it. Turn on the pH meter, place the sensor into the water sample to be tested, and the value can be read. No complicated learning is required to get started easily.
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Can you add pH control to equipment you already have?
Potentially, if the existing pH meter and other instruments can be incorporated into a compatible control setup. A pH-stat is more than a pH logger: it uses pH measurement as feedback to adjust reagent addition toward a target or otherwise maintain a defined pH condition. That feedback loop makes sensor behavior, pump response, and control settings part of the experimental method.
OpenPhControl: a published modular pH-stat example
A 2018 PLOS One paper describes OpenPhControl, which combines a pH meter and computer with peristaltic and syringe-pump modules, Arduino hardware, software, and 3D-printed parts. The authors describe the design as using “a reliable and inexpensive pH stat device” built with open-source software, inexpensive hardware, readily available laboratory devices, and printed parts. PLOS One: OpenPhControl
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The paper reports a total system cost below 150 EUR, excluding existing laboratory equipment such as the pH meter and computer. This is the authors’ historical, study-specific figure from 2018, not a current estimate for a comparable build. They also report spending less than 10 EUR, including shipping, on the peristaltic pump they used; that, too, is a historical component cost, not a current price.
The example shows one route to adapting existing equipment, not a universal parts list. A lab would still need to assess instrument compatibility, chemical suitability, calibration, software and hardware skills, and the time required to build and maintain the system.
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- Electronic pH tester: with LED high-definition numbers screen, the PH210E pH Meter offers clear and easy-to-read pH and temperature readings, even in challenging lighting conditions. The intuitive user interface and straightforward navigation make operation simple and efficient, allowing users to focus on their work without unnecessary distractions. Automatic temperature compensation, automatic reading lock, etc.and more to meet your precision needs.
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Can a low-cost setup capture data and monitor temperature?
Published examples show that a microcontroller can help connect commercial laboratory equipment, but integration depends on the specific instruments and the intended workflow. The 2026 Journal of Chemical Education paper on Chem Lab Auto – Pi Pico describes an open-source platform using a Raspberry Pi Pico and MicroPython to integrate commercial devices. The authors report that their particular apparatus cost about $100, or about $40 without its thermal conductivity detector. These figures apply to that build, not to a general-purpose laboratory automation system. Journal of Chemical Education: Chem Lab Auto – Pi Pico
Data capture should be planned along with control: decide which values and events matter, how they will be timestamped or associated with dosing, and how data will be exported for analysis. The cited examples establish that logging and integration are possible in particular builds; they do not establish that every instrument supports the same data format or connection method.
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Measurement is not temperature control
A temperature sensor can report conditions without changing them. Closed-loop temperature control requires a controller and an actuator—such as a heater or other temperature-control device—configured to respond to measurements. The OpenPhControl paper mentions an inexpensive digital temperature sensor for measurement. The Chem Lab Auto example integrates a temperature controller and thermocouple in its specific apparatus. Neither example means that adding a sensor alone will regulate temperature.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to choose between an integrated system, an adaptation, and a DIY build
There is no universal winner in the published examples; they demonstrate components and approaches rather than a head-to-head comparison. Use the requirements of the experiment to decide what to buy or build.
| Approach | Best fit to consider | Questions to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial integrated dosing system | A workflow that needs a purpose-built dosing solution and defined vendor-supported interfaces. | Does it meet the required dosing range and rate, connect to existing instruments, capture and export the needed data, and suit the chemicals and supervision model? |
| Adapt existing equipment | A lab with instruments that can provide compatible signals or accept control inputs, and a limited task to automate. | Are the interfaces documented? Who will configure and validate the connection, maintain it, and respond to faults? |
| DIY or modular build | A lab able to adapt hardware and software around a specific experiment, as in the published OpenPhControl and Chem Lab Auto examples. | Can the team support development, calibration, chemical compatibility checks, maintenance, and safe operation over time? |
For any option, include more than the headline equipment cost in the decision. Account for instruments already owned or still needed, development and setup time, calibration, consumables, maintenance, and staff skills. Check accessibility too: a system’s display, controls, and feedback should work for the people expected to use it.
Build accessibility and safe operation into the design
Accessibility is a design requirement, not a feature that can be assumed from a low price or an open-source label. Published education projects describe text-to-speech and mobile-device features for titration, as well as a sensor hub that can connect to a pH electrode or thermocouple. These demonstrations suggest possible ways to make controls and feedback more accessible, but do not establish universal usability, suitability for every user, or certification. Accessibility project examples Sensor-hub example
Likewise, automated operation is not automatically safe operation. Consider what happens if a sensor reading is wrong, a pump continues dosing, a connection fails, or temperature moves outside the intended range. Define appropriate limits, monitoring, and intervention procedures for the actual experiment before deciding that a run can proceed without an operator present.
Quick Recap
A practical decision checklist
- Identify one repetitive step that would benefit from dosing, measurement, or logging automation.
- Specify required dosing range and rate, measurement needs, data outputs, and any pH or temperature-control targets.
- Check instrument interfaces and chemical compatibility of all wetted parts.
- Separate sensing from control: identify the actuator and feedback logic needed for any controlled variable.
- Plan calibration, verification, maintenance, and fault response before using the system for experimental decisions.
- Compare integrated, adapted, and DIY approaches using total cost, staff capability, accessibility, and safe-supervision needs.
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